I'd suggest logging onto some ISPs websites - BT, Virgin, etc and you can usually enter your postcode to see what speed you can get. Here is the BT version. Just click on "check your speed" and you can enter your new telephone number if it's with BT or the address if it isn't.

Ok, first of all. If you can only get 512Kbps then that will be the fastest both your laptop and ipad can surf. So there's no difference. Neither will be "faster" than the other.

Think of broadband speed like a motorway with a speed limit. Doesn't matter if you buy a Ferrari or a Fiesta. You are limited to 70Mph.

What it will mean is that you will struggle to download big files. So if you download a lot of music, videos etc then yes you will struggle. Youtube HD clips won't probably run. You'll probably only be able to download one file at a time without wanting to kill yourself in protest!

If all you do is check your emails, news and Facebook then you may not even notice the difference.

Sorry, but I'd have to disagree ! It won't be ideal (or perhaps even usable) for watching video streaming using, say, BBC iPlayer, but it will still be easy to download whole shows (overnight if necessary, for example with a budget ISP that doesn't count off-peak traffic).

There's a BBC iPlayer diagnostic page which gives 'traffic lights' for the various services - I just ran it and put a link > online here < - I suspect it will be a little optimistic to suggest streaming video will work, but last year when I had only a third of the speed I was still far from a "light user" (currently typical month traffic is 100++ GB, then much lower).

It should be fine for short video clips, browsing, e-mail and radio (even the HD BBC Radio 3 which i think runs at 320 kbps (though admittedly only on one machine at a time).

Please remember that back in 2000, we all started with 500 kbps and it is far from slow (10+ times the speed of dial-up) - but admittedly, 500 kbps does not compare with 5000 or 50,000 kbps which some (on Virgin cable) may be getting.

I think RightMove has started showing details of broadband along with other house details. Something to check on if buying when looking online at homes...

We had 512kbps speed when we first moved to our flat, we didn't know any better so thought it was great streaming video was a problem though. It went up to 2 mbps when adsl+ was installed, then 4 mbps when adsl 2+ came about, we are at the heady heights of 6 mbps in our current house, luxury.

You'd be able to download very easily but not watch it streaming over the connection.Downloading it during the night is what I'd recommend.

VforV - I'm so envious... Where I was before I could get 7 Mbps and now that exchange would probably be giving me 10 or more Mbps, but I had to move and the village I'm in is about 5/6 km from the exchange (and it's a satellite off the main town exchange so has older equipment and fewer alternative ISPs), so I'm getting 2 to 2.5 Mbps now (last year with a fault on the line, it was 160 kbps, a third of the basic 500 kbps).

Some people in rural areas (with interference from electric fences) are only getting 250 kbps, but the TV ads by BT mentioning 40 Mbps or Virgin (which offers 10, 50 and 100 Mbps) are getting me down now.